Feed-water heater



(No Model.)

- J. J. HOPPES.

FEED WAT/EE HEATER.

lajtenned July 9, 1889.

,Willllk 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. HOPPES, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,512, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed December 19. 1887. Serial No. 258,363. (No model.) j

To all whom t may conceive',

Be it known that I, JOHN J. HOPPES, a citi Zen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark 'and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Tater Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to feed-,water heatersv for steam-boilers; and it particularly relates to that class of heaters in which the temperature of the feed-water is raised by the utilization of the heat obtained from the steam exhausted from the engine.

The object of my invention is to provide a heater which shall be simple in its construction, efficient in its operation, and so arranged that all the parts thereof are easily accessible for the purpose of cleaning, the parts being at the same time so combined and arranged that the unequal expansion of the metal forming the same, due to the varying temperatures to which the different parts are exposed, shall not affect the utility of the device or cause unusual strain thereon.

My invention consists, in the various constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1- is a vertical sectional elevational view of the heater embodying my invention.` Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are sectional views of a portion of the heater, showing modifications in the manner of admitting1 and conducting theexhauststeam thereto, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the feed-water heaters of this class heretofore constructed it has been common to pass the exhaust-steam from the engine through a series of pipes or conductors, which are surrounded by or in contact with the feed-water in its passage to the boiler. The principal difficulties encountered in the construction and operation vof feed-water heaters of this class are the unequal expansion and contraction to which the different portions are subjected by reason of the un equal temperatures presented thereto, and also in the great difficulty experienced in cleaning the same. In my improved heater herein set forth, I have sought to overcome this difficulty by the use of a series of heating-tubes leading directly from a heating 0r supply chamber into which the exhaust-steam is conducted, the said heating-tubes being closed at one end, so that the steam does not pass throughthe same, but are adapted to receive the steam or heat therefrom and retain it while the heat is given Off to the feed-water which surrounds the said tubes.

The outer casing A of the device is made, preferably, of a plain cylindrical forln, provided at the top with an annular casting A', to which the outer casing A is riveted. Secured to the top of the ring or casting A is a cupV or cover D, preferably provided'withan annular projection a, adapted to iit into a corresponding groove b in the said casting A', and-'in contact with a packing-ring, of rubber or other suitable material b', placed therein.

Secured to the inner side of the ring or annular casting A is an inner lcasing C, which projects downwardly in the main casin g A almost to the bottom thereof. The space be-` tween the bottom of the inner cylindrical and the outer casing being adapted to form a supply-chamber D, into which the steam from the engine is admitted through a pipe D and discharged through an opening D42, said outlet and inlet openings being contracted with reference to the chamber D, so that the steam will expand in said chamber, an annular.

chamber E is thus formed between the walls of the inner and outer casings C and A, respectively. The inner casing is closed at the bottom by a plate F, provided with a series of openings adapted to receive upwardly-extending pipes or tubes c, which I term heating-tubes. These tubes are preferably madel of api-ain cylindrical form and of uniform external diameter. g preferably by means of plugs, Vwhich are screwed into the said tubes, so as to leave the external diameter free and unencumbered.

The tubes are screwed or otherwise secured into the plate F, so that they may be readily removed, if desired. The feed-water to be heated is pumped into the cylinder ory casing -O through the supply-pipe H, and passes to the boiler through an outlet-pipe l-I. At or near the upper portion of the water-chamber C, I provide a blow-off pipe and valve I, adapted to blow out the upper They are closed at the top, v

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purities which gather on the top of the Water.

In the lower supply-chamber D, I preferably provide a partition or deflectorJ, extending diagonally across the said chamber in front of the entrance-pipe D. The operation of the device as thus described is as follows: The exhaust-steam from the engine, entering from the pipe D', expands by reason of the contracted outletand inlet openings in the supply-chamber D, and a portion of the same, by reason of its expansion, enters the tube e, and into the space E, about the Waterreceiving chamber C. In addition to the expansion of the steam, the deflector D will cause the same to change direction and enter into the chamber F. and the tube e. The tubes e being placed in a vertical position, the heat from the steam admitted to the chamber D Will rise and be retained therein, and in a similar manner Will rise and be retained in the chamber E, surrounding the Water-space C. There being no outlet at the top of the tubes e and the chamber E, there Will be no passage through the same; but the heat from the exhaust-steam will, to a very large extent, remain therein and be continually imparted to the feed-Water surrounding the same. By this construction it Will be seen that, instead of an alternate supply and exhaust of the heat in the tubes and chamber, a more uniform heat is secured.

Leading from the bottom 4of the Waterspace C and passing through the chamber D is an outlet or discharge pipe K, preferably provided With a straight Way valve K, through which the contents of the Waterspace C are discharged When it is desired to clean the same. It will be seen that by removing the cover B the interior of the Waterspace C is readily accessible for the purpose of cleaning. The tubes e, being of a plain cylindrical form and uniform in diameter, may be readily cleaned by means of an annular scraper adapted to iit over the same, and the accumulations thereon, being thus removed, may be readily Washed through the passage-pipe K.

In order to compensate for the unequal expansion of the outer and inner casingsA and C, I preferably provide the supply-pipe II and the passage-pipe K With stuffing-boxes, Where they pass through the outer casing, so that the same may come and go by the expansion or contraction of the said casings. The deflector D, While useful in assisting in the expansion of the steam and in deiiecting the same into the tubes in the chamber, may be dispensed with, as the expansion of the steam Will be suflicient to cause the same to enter the tubes and heating-chamber, and even though the steam is exhausted directly through the chamber D, as shown in' Fig. 5, it Will be found that a large amount of the heat contained therein will riseinto the tubes e and be imparted to the feed-water surrounding the same. This action will be materially directly into said tubes.

assisted and rendered continuous bythe fact that the steam in the heating-tubes, being surrounded by the feed-water, will vbe more or less condensed, and thus create a vacuum Within, Which will draw a fresh supply of hot steam from the supply-chamber D.

In Figs. 3 and a I have shown the chamber D provided with a modiiied form of deflector J. In Fig. 4t the deiiector is made concave and almost or quite surrounds the entrancepipe D. In Fig. 3 the deflector is made in the form of apartition, dividing the chamber in two parts, the said chamber being'provided with openings immediately under the receiving-tubes, and funnel-shaped nozzles placed over said openings to direct the steam In this case the heating-chamber E, between the outer and inner casings A and C, is shown with the` tubes e, being alone depended upon for furnishing the heat to the feed-Water. many cases Will be found sufficient.

A feed-Water heater, as thus described, it Will be seen, is very simple in its construction, and all the parts are readily accessible for cleaning. By the arrangement of the heating-tubes, as described, a large amount of heating-surface is presented to the feed- Water. The said tubes being closed at the top and having no direct passage through the same, the heat is better retained therein, and the tubes are not subjected to the sudden changes of temperature occasioned by the exhaustion and supply of steam thereto to such an extent as when the steam is passed directly through the same from the engine-cylinder. It will also be seen that in View of the fact that the steam does not pass through the tubes, but only through the supply-chamber, there will be little or no back pressure produced on the engine, as in the case Where the `steam is exhausted through a circuitous route of small or crooked tubes.

I have shown in the drawings a heater arranged With the tubes vertical. It is obvious, however, that they maybe placed horizontal, if desired, sufficient inclination being given to permit the Water produced by condensation to pass out of the same. It is obvious that other modifications may be employed Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml l. The combination, in a feed-Water heater with a Water space or chamber, of a steamsupply chamber extending entirely under said Water-space and provided with contracted outlet and inlet openings, heating-tubes opening in said steam-supply chamber closed at one end and extending longitudinally into said Water-space, whereby steam is caused to enter said heating-tubes from said supplychamber Without the aid of circulating-tubes, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a feed-Water heater with a Water space or chamber, of a steam- This in IOO IIS

supply chamber extendingentirely under said water-space and provided with contracted outlet and inlet openings, heating-tubes leading into said supply-chamber Closed atone end and extending longitudinally through said water-space, and a deeetor in said supply-chamber to further retard the passage ofV the steam through the same and cause it to enter said heating-tubes, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with an outer casing having an inner easing secured therein, so as to form a heating passage or chamber between the sa1ne5 a supply-chamber in the lower portion of said outer casing, and below the bottom of said inner easing, the Vertical heatingtubes extending into said inner casing, said tubes being closed at the top and open at the bottom in the said supply-chamber, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with an outer and inner casing, the supply-chamber in the lower portion of said outer casing, the vertical heating-tubes leading from said supply-chamber in said inner casing, said tubes being of uniform external diameter and closed at the top, as described, an inlet and outlet pipe oonneeted to said inner chamber, a blow-olf pipe above said outlet-pipe, a discharge-pipe lead.

'0, of a supply-Chamber D, Jthe heating-tubes e closed at one end and extending into the waterspaoe, and the defieotor J, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my- 4o 'hand this 16th day of December, A. D. 1887.

JOI-'IN J. HOPPES.

Titnessesz JOSHUA SCOTT, PAUL A. STALEY. 

